


Two Crazy Cats, One Lunch and All the Shinies

by jadekirk



Series: Out With The Old, In With The New [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Angry pink cats, Cats, Cats don't like being pink, Cats with Wings, Covered in goop, Humor, Managers trying to fix stuff, Missing Scene, Non-Human Humanoid Society, Slice of Life, The snark is strong in this, cats will steal your food and shinies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2018-07-06
Packaged: 2018-12-22 04:14:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11959479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadekirk/pseuds/jadekirk
Summary: When two cats are involved in the daily workings of the Retro Shop, chaos reigns.A missing scene from a novel that I am working on.





	1. One Cat and a Manager's Lunch

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm back from a long hiatus from writing. Many thanks to Simon M for encouraging me to get back into writing, even though I am sure this isn't what he had in mind. LOL 
> 
> Also must thank Georgia for giving some ideas and helping me name my two main characters. 
> 
> A big thank you to everyone who the characters are based on. I will get everyone in eventually.

It was a boring day at work, sales had been good at the old retro shop, but not brilliant. Skrim, the manager at the shop, had wanted to make at least 224 credits on sales but the current amount was standing at 157 credits. It had been like that for at least an hour and not even the lovely charms of Layel, Skrim's Assistant Manager, or Jubu, the cashier, had been enough to boost the sales.

Skrim was a tall, muscular built man with red skin, blue eyes and bald headed with black stubble growing around his chin. He had four arms growing out of his sides. He had been decribed as incredibly handsome by various people.

Skrim shook his head, crossed his lower pair of arms, and, using his other two hands, pointed at Layel. “I'm going for some lunch. You're in charge, Dash. I'll be down in about 30 mins. Work your magic. Any probs, just yell, or come up. You're awesome. You can do this.”

“I will.” Layel answered, her pale blue skin darkening slightly as she blushed at his compliment. She ran a hand through her rainbow coloured hair and smiled at him. Not so long ago, Skrim had found a plastic toy horse that matched her colouring, complete with wings, like hers, in the upstairs store room. The toy was still in its packaging and it had 'Rainbow Dash' written on the front so Skrim had started calling her 'Dash' as a nickname. She watched as he trudged up the stairs to the staff room upstairs.

The Retro Shop was just that. It was an old fashioned building with not many of the updates of the 25th century. There was a food replication machine upstairs, but nothing else from the 25th century. Layel guessed that it had been built in the 20th century but then again, the whole of the suburb that she lived in was old so she wasn't really surprised. Some of the stuff that they sold was dated from the 20th and 21st centuries. Strangely enough, the shop was very popular with people of all ages.

Suddenly Layel heard a deep voice from below her left wing, which made her jump. “Ello Toots.”

She looked down and saw her cat, Mach, a black cat with bat wings growing out of his back, standing next to her. “Mach! What...?”

“Was bored at home so decided to pop in and see ya,” Mach answered, jumping up on the side. “So anything interesting today?”

“Nothing that would interest you. Where's your partner in crime?” Layel asked, referring to Mach's 'Furry little helper', Milo. Milo was another black cat, bat wings also growing out of his back, but Milo was slightly larger and heavier than Mach, even though he was younger than Mach.

“Right here,” a soft voice answered from below her right wing.

“I should've guessed,” Layel commented as she bent down and stroked the top of Milo's head. “Where Mach is, you're never far behind, are you?”

“Nope.”

Mach suddenly sniffed, his little black nose twitching. “I smell foods.” He flapped his wings and flew upstairs. Layel, knowing exactly what Mach was going to do, ran after him. Sometimes she wished that the staircase was a little wider so that she could fly up the stairs, instead of having to run up them.

She managed to grab Mach as he hovered behind Skrim, ready to take a bite out of Skrim's lunch. “Bad cat.”

Skrim jumped, as he didn't hear Layel coming up the stairs, and turned around to face her. “You are like a ninja sometimes. Is there a problem?” He noticed Mach. “Hey Mach.”

“You meanie. I only wanted a bite,” Mach protested as he wriggled in Layel's arms. “It smelt so good.”

“Mach was trying to steal your lunch again,” Layel answered, her face slightly flushed. She placed Mach down on the carpeted floor.

“Well, thanks for the rescue,” Skrim replied with a smile. “I owe you one.” He grinned at Mach and offered him a piece of his lunch. “All you had to do was ask.”

“You're my best friend now,” Mach commented as he gently took the piece of food from Skrim's fingers. “Mmm, chicken. You are definitely my bestest best friend ever.”

“You sound like Dash,” Skrim commented. “Only hers is coffee.”

“Am standing right here,” Layel stated. “Can hear every word you are saying."

"I know. I meant for you to hear that. The replication machine is on the blink. You'll have to boil the kettle. Would you like a coffee?"

"Yes please.”

"I'll bring you one down.”

Mach adopted a singsong voice . "Skrim and Layel, sitting in a tree..”

Layel blushed. "Shut up, Mach,” she growled at Mach.

Mach's eyes grew wide and he moved backwards. “Whoa! I think you better get her a coffee.”

"Anything for my favourite person," Skrim answered with a wide smile, directed at Layel.

Layel's blush grew. "T-thanks," she stuttered, flustered. She suddenly froze as she remembered something. “Oh no. I left Milo downstairs. I better go and see what chaos he is causing.”

“Okay.” Skrim answered. “I'll keep an eye on Mach.”

“And be on guard. He might try and steal more of your lunch.”

Mach's eyes widened in mock shock. “As if I would. I'll be good.”

“Yeah, right.”


	2. The Other Cat and All the Shinies

When Layel came back downstairs, she was met by absolute chaos. Clothes were strewn all over the shop floor. Milo was perched on the top shelf with at least 10 necklaces around his neck and he ignored Jubu's attempts to coax him down.  
  
“Come on, Milo, put those necklaces back,” Jubu pleaded, her antenna twitching under her dark purple curly hair. Her pale green skin was flushed as she tried to persuade Milo to come down from his perch.  
  
 “No. My shinies,” Milo answered, flopping down on his side. The shelf creaked ominiously under his weight.  
  
“They're the shop's shinies.” Jubu retorted. “Come down before that shelf comes down.”  
  
“My shinies!”  
  
Layel walked over and stood next to Jubu. “What happened?”  
  
Jubu jumped as she hadn't heard Layel approaching. “Ah!”  
  
“Sorry. Guess ninja school has really paid off,” Layel joked. “Seriously, what happened?”  
  
“Well, first Milo was having a sleep on that pile of clothes in the back. Oh, that weird thing has sold, along with that dress in the window, then he decided he wanted to explore and came out onto the shop floor. First he knocked clothes off their hangers while playing. He spotted the jewellery and, well, he thought he would claim it for himself. He decided to fly up where the jewellery was hanging. He somehow got them to hang around his neck. He flew up there and now he won't come down. I don't think that shelf will hold him much longer.”  
  
“I can't leave him alone for a second.” Layel looked up at Milo. “Milo, get your fuzzy self down here.” She winced as the shelf creaked again and flapped her wings to fly up to where Milo was. She picked him up and gently floated down again.  
  
Milo twisted and wriggled as he tried to get out of her hold. He broke free and landed feet first on the ground. “My shinies.” He flopped on his side again, just to make it difficult for them to get the necklaces off him. He turned his head and bit and scratched their hands as they tried to remove the jewellry from his body. “You are mean,” he yowled when they finally succeeded in their task.  
  
 “Both you and Mach are lucky that this shop is cat friendly or else we would be having a different conversation.” Layel stood up with the jewellry in her hand. “I think you better keep your paws firmly on the ground. I don't think Skrim would be too happy with you if you wreck his shop.”  
  
 “You stole my shinies!”Milo turned and gave himself a lick. He then stood up again and flew into the back room and curled up on Skrim's chair by his desk.  
  
“Where is Mach, anyway,” Jubu asked as she looked around. "We better get this tidied up before Skrim comes down."  
  
“Upstairs with Skrim.” Layel walked around the shop and picked up the clothes on the floor and put them back on their hangers.  
  
Jubu's eyes widened. “Ohh. Did he steal Skrim's lunch again?”  
  
“He tried to. I caught him before he could... this time. I had to make him promise to be good.”  
  
“Think that'll work?”  
  
“I hope so. Oh, by the way, the replication machine is on the blink so it's using the kettle for now for coffee.”  
  
“Coffee sounds good right now.”  
  
“Tell me about it.”  
  
Skrim chose that moment to come down the stairs with their coffee. He handed Layel her coffee first. “There you go, Dash.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
Skrim then handed Jubu her coffee. “And for you.”  
  
“Thank you.”  
  
“So, how much chaos did Milo cause then?” Skrim asked, as he sipped his coffee. “Did we make any more sales?”  
  
 Jubu nodded and her grey eyes lit up. “Yes. We sold that weird shaped thing for 35 credits and someone bought that dress in the window for 50 credits.”  
  
Skrim smiled and gave them both a thumbs up. “Good job, team. But you didn't answer my first question.”


	3. Two "Idiots" and a Broken Replication Machine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Skrim and Layel decide to fix the on the blink replication machine, what could possibly go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unbeta'ed and written on my tablet as my laptop has decided to give up the ghost. All mistakes are mine.

A little while later, Skrim looked at his team, including Maelki, who had arrived not long ago and sighed. "I'm going to try and fix the replication machine and I need your help, Dash."

 "Why me?" Layel questioned. "I have no idea on how the thing works. Shouldn't we comm the engineer?"

"No, I can do it. And I'm asking you because you can fly up there and reach the top bit."

 Layel turned to Maelki. "Comm the engineer."

 "Don't." Skrim ordered.

 "So you're an engineer now, are you?"

"How hard can it be? I know what I'm doing."

Mach, by this time had flown downstairs, and landed on Skrim's desk. "She's right. Shouldn't we wait for someone who knows what they are doing?"

"This is a bad idea," Milo commented, opening one eye to deliver his comment before closing it again. "I'm staying here."

"Don't listen to Skrim," Layel ordered. "Comm them."

Maelki shook her head in dismay. "I'll comm them."

"Don't override me."

"Why don't you listen to me?" Layel asked as both of them headed upstairs.

Mach launched himself off Skrim's desk. "Against my better judgement, I'm going to keep an eye on them. Someone has to watch out for the two idiots." 

Maelki shook her head again and moved to the comm. She pressed a button that linked directly to the engineering team. "Um. Yes, we have a malfunctioning replication machine. Could you please send someone to fix it for us?"

"Of course we can. Do you know what model it is?"

"One moment please." Maelki said as she moved to the bottom of the stairs. "Skrim!" She called up.

"Yes?" Skrim yelled down, his voice slightly muffled.

"What model is the replication machine?"

"Hang on." There was a banging noise. "Layel, can you grab that bit for me? It's a UE1701 model. Why?"

"The engineer wants to know."

"I can fix it myself."

"I'm comming them just in case. Just so they can double check your repairs."

"There won't be anything to double check because I can fix this thing."

"If you say so," Maelki muttered as she walked back to the comm. She relayed the model number to the engineers.

"That's an old model but it's easily fixed. I can have an engineer out in about two hours."

"Can it be any sooner? The manager is going to try to fix it and I don't want it blowing up or something."

"Don't worry, it shouldn't blow up."

"Shouldn't?" Jubu interjected from behind Maelki. "I don't like the sound of that."

"I apologize. I mean, it wouldn't blow up. All it will do is shut down completely. It's the built-in failsafe. I'm afraid that two hours is the earliest the engineer can come to you. I have triangulated your coordinates so we can send an engineer out for you."

"That's fine. If we haven't blown up in the meantime," Maelki muttered, before cutting the transmission. She looked at Jubu. "Why am I not reassured?"

"Me neither. I suppose we better tell them what the engineer said."

"I'll do it." Maelki walked to the bottom of the stairs again. She could hear a lot of banging and clattering coming from upstairs. "Are they wrecking the place?" She headed up the stairs. When she got to the top, she stopped. Bits and pieces of the replication machine were strewn everywhere. Skrim's head was obscured by a big circuit board and Layel was hovering above him, holding the circuit board open so Skrim could look underneath it. "The engineer will be able to come out in about two hours," Maelki said.

"Okay." Skrim commented, not looking up from what he was doing. 

"We could wait, you know. Just use the kettle." Layel said from her position above Skrim. 

"Bite your tongue, Dash. I know what I'm doing."

"Do you? How do we know that it isn't going to blow up on us?" Mach commented from his position on the stair rail. 

"The engineer said that it shouldn't blow up."

"Well, that's not reassuring at all," Mach said.

"They said that all it would do is shut down completely."

"I hope you're right."

"I'll be downstairs if you need me." Maelki said, heading back down the stairs. She walked over to Jubu. "I'm still not convinced but Skrim is adamant."

"This could end in disaster."

"I'll be in the back room."

Maelki walked into the back room. She could hear what was going on upstairs.

"Ah ha!" she heard Skrim exclaim. "I see what's wrong here." A bit more loud banging. "See, this is what's causing the problem. All I have to do is give it a dust and then we should be back in business."

"That's it? A bit of dust clogged up the whole thing?"

"Told you I known what I'm doing."

"This is a bad idea."

"So you keep saying, Mach."

"Milo agrees with me. That's why he stayed downstairs."

"Milo is just being lazy."

Milo opened an eye at the comment. "Hey, I heard that."

A loud sneeze echoed from upstairs. "Did you have to blow that dust at me?"

"Sorry, not sorry." There was the sound of a loud smack. "Ow!"

"Serves you right."

"Mach took the words right out of my mouth," Layel commented.

"You're supposed to be loyal to me."

"Aww, there there."

"That was the most sarcastic comforting ever, Dash." Skrim said. "Now help me get this thing on and then I can show off my awesome fixing skills."

"I thought you were already doing that." 

"Cheeky." 

"That's why you love me. Uh, in a professional way, of course." 

"I might change my mind about that." Another loud bang and a slight clang. "There, done."

"Is it going to blow up?" Mach asked, sounding nervous. 

"Don't be silly. Let's test this bad boy out. Coffee black."

A gurgling noise. "It works."

"Don't sound so surprised. I told you I knew what I was doing."

Maelki shook her head. "He fixed it," she said, addressing Milo.

Milo opened one eye. "So I heard." He shut his eyes again. 

"You really are a lazy cat, aren't you?"

"Not lazy. Just can't be bothered to move."

"All right, Mr I-Know-What-I'm-Doing," Mach's voice carried down, "if you've fixed it then why is there a dripping sound now?" 

"You're hearing things," Skrim commented.

"It's changed now. It's now more a bloopy noise."

"I don't hear anything. Dash, you hear anything?"

"No, I don't but I trust Mach's instincts."

"It's gonna blow. Abandon ship. Women and kitties first!"

"Mach, will you calm down? It's not going to blow. The engineer said it wouldn't."

"I heard that," Layel commented. "It sounds like a tap is running." A long pause. "It's getting fast…ARGH!"

Maelki suddenly heard a loud yowl and automatically moved to the bottom of the stairs and looked up. She had to duck as a flying pink shape flew towards her, chattering angrily. She recognized the voice as belonging to Mach. Then she noticed what looked to be a pink river rushing down the stairs. "What the…?" She noticed that the level of the pink liquid was rising at the bottom of the stairs, in the back room and it was beginning to go onto the shop floor. She guessed it was because the doors were closed.

She waded out to where Jubu was standing. "I think he killed it."

Jubu nodded. "What is this stuff? Why does it smell like strawberries? It's all thick and gloopy."

"Great. We are going to drown in pink stuff."

Mach was buzzing about the shop, looking like an angry pink bee. "Managers and their supposed knowledge. Look at me, I'm all pink!"

Suddenly the front door opened as a customer wanted to enter the shop. Maelki guessed that the unlucky customer hadn't reckoned on a tidal wave of pink strawberry smelling liquid on knocking them over and staining their clothes. Also, they probably hadn't guessed that there would be an angry pink cat flying around their heads.

Milo raised his head and looked around. "Huh?" He shrugged in a kitty way and curled back up and went to sleep. His head lifted again as an angry voice drifted down the stairs. "Boy, Layel is really giving it to him. Apparently, the front of her shirt is now pink. Skrim can't even get a word in." He looked down at the chair he was sitting on that was starting to float. "I think I'll stay here. I don't want to get pink."

"I'm tempted to also give Skrim a piece of my mind," Maelki commented, "but when Layel gets going, I'll let her carry on. I've got wet feet."

"I told you to wait for the engineer! But did you listen to me? No! And now I'm all pink. We should be glad the thing didn't blow up on us!" Layel's voice travelled down the stairs. "Find the thing to shut it off or we are going to drown in this stuff."

"Sorry about that. Technical difficulties," Jubu said nervously as she went to help the customer up. She looked up to the ceiling as she could hear every word of Layel's rant, almost as if Layel was standing right next to her.

"So I see. What happened?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note. It is possible for strawberry milkshake to show up on a black cat as I inadvertently discovered when I made some strawberry ice cream.


End file.
